Adjustable support



Feb. 2,1926. 1,571,509

T. W. CONNOLLY ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT Filed August 16, 1924 alto: mg

Patented Feb. 2, 192a UNITED STATES THOMAS; W. CONNOLLY, 01? LOSANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT.

Application filed August 16, 1924. Serial No. 732,498.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it lrnown that I, THOMAS Vi CON- HOLLY, a citizen or the UnitedStates, and a resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Jlingolesand State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Adjustable Supports, of which the following is aspecification. I

My invention relates to adjustable supper a, and. purpose of myinvention is the provision of an adjustable support of extremely simple,inexpensive, and durable construction which is particularly applicableto adjustable chair backs, but which may be used in any otherconnections where an adjustable support'ls necessary.

It is also purpose of my invention to prrn ide an adjustable supportincluding a supporting member adapted for pivotal connection to thechair back, and a locking member pivoted on the chair frame so as tonormally gravitate to one position in which the supporting member islocked against movement to prevent lowering of the chair back, and whichis movable by the supporting member to another position in which thesupporting member is freely movable to permit lowering of the chairback.

I will describe only one form of adjustable support embodying myinvention and one adaptation thereof, and will then point out the novelfeatures thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view showing one form of adjustable support embodying myinvention in applied position with respect to a chair back;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the chair, withthe adjustable support in back supporting position;

Figure is a View similar to Figure 2, showing the chair back incompletely lowcred position;

Figure *lis a vertical sectional view taken on the line l--ii of FigureReferring specifically to the drawings, in which similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts in each of the views, my invention inits present embodiment comprises a stationary element 15 which, in thepresent instance, is a part of the chair frame, and a pivoted element 16comprising the chair back, it being noted that the element is pivoted onthe stationary element by means of hinges 17 whereby the back is capableof being adjusted to various inclinations In the present instance I haveshown two stationary elements 15 and two adjustable supports associatedwith the stationary elements. As the two supports are identical inconstruction a description of one will sutlice for all.

As shown in Figure 2, the stationary element 15 is formed with anopening 18, and within this opening is mounted a locking memberincluding a stationary plate 19 secured to one wall of the opening and amovable plate 20 pivoted on the stationary plate and provided with anopening 21 through which a supporting member or connecting rod 22 isadapted to slide. The upper end of the supporting member is pivotallyconnected at the point indicated at 23 to the plate 24 securedto thepivoted element or chair back 16, and this supporting member is threadedat its opposite ends to accommodate nuts 25 and 26 which constitute lugsor abutments, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

A spring latch 26 is secured to the plate 19 of the locking member, andthis latch is curved to provide a bill 27 arranged to receive and securethe movable plate 20 in the dotted line position shown in Figure 2.

In operation, the plate 20 ot the locking member normally gravitates tothe inclined position shown in Figure 2, wherein the wall of the opening21. has binding engage ment with the supporting member 22 when thepivoted member 16 is in inclined posi tion as shown, so as to exert adownward )lGSSlll'Q 117011 the S11 )OOl'tlIN member.

Through this binding engagement the supporting member is locked againstdownward movement so as to firmly retain the seat back in inclinedposition. However, the supporting member can be moved up wardly throughthe opening of the plate to effect any desired elevation or adjustmentofthe seat back, but as soon as the seat back is released so that its ownweight can again be exerted upon the supporting member, the plate 20will again function to bite the supporting member and thus lock thelatter against downward movement.

The supporting member 22 is capable of occupying an extreme elevatedposition as shown in dot and dash lines in Figure 2, or an extremelowered position as shown in ill) solid lines in Figure 3. 111 theextreme elevated position, the nut 26 elevates the plate 20 so that thelatter is engaged by the bill 27 of the latch 26, and in this positionof the plate 20 it is disposed at right angles to the supporting memberor rod 22 so that the wall of the opening 21 will be ineffective toengage the rod and lock the latter against downward movement whereby therod can be moved downwardly to permit a lowering of the chair back 16.In the lower extreme position as shown in Figure 3, the nut 25 engagesthe plate 20, thus forcing the latter downwardly away from the bill 27so that the plate can gravitate to its normal posi tion wherein itoperates as a locking means for the rod 22, as has been previouslydescribed.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of adjustablesupport embodying my invention, it is to be understood that variouschanges and modifications may be made herein without departing from thespirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

hat I claim is:

1 An adjustable support comprising a supporting member adapted forpivoted connection to a pivotal element, and a locking member adapted tobe pivoted on a station ary element to normally gravitate to oneposition in which the supporting member is locked against movement toprevent low ering of the pivotal element and which is movable by thesupporting member to another position in which the supporting memher isfreely movable to permit lowering of the pivoted element, and a latchassociated with the locking member to secure the latter inthefsecondmentioned position and thus allow lowering of the pivotedelement, and abutments on the supporting member,- one of which isadapted to engage the locking member as the supporting member reachesits uppermost position and move the locking member into engagement withthe latch, and the other of which is adapted to engage the lockingmember when the supporting member reaches its lowermost position andmove out of engagement with latch for securing the movable plate in a'position in which the rod is freely movable through the opening in bothdirections, and

lugs on the rod; one of said lugs being adapt- I ed to engage themovable plate to force the latter but of engagement with the latch andthe other lug to engage the movable plate to lift the latter intoengagement with the latch.

3. In a device of. the class described a hinged apertured plate adaptedto be mounted upon a fixed object a latch member in coact-ion with theplate to hold same at one time against hinged movement, and a rodslidable through the aperture of said plate and provided with means torespectively engage the plate and disengage same from said latch, thehinged plate functioning when disengaged from said latch to permit itsaperture to be .cantedwith respect to the rod and to hold the latter inits position of adjustment.

4. In a device of the class described, a swinging plate having anopening therein, a rod slidable through the opening in the plate andadapted to be angularly positioned with respect to the walls of theopening so as to be brought into lockingcontact therewith; and means topermit the plate to be held in one position so that said rod may bemoved along a line representing the true longitudinal axis of theopening to thereby permit the rod to slide freely and to be ield out oflocking contact with the walls of said opening includinga spring latchengageable with the plate, and portions on the rod for respectivelyengaging the plate with and disengaging the same from said latch.

THOMAS W. CONNOLLY.

